Diy block paving advise - Advise needed

[Bob_A]

Thanks everyone, will be getting two.
Sorry to go take the thread slghtly off topic N0chex.
Let me put it back on course for you

No one got their maths head on tonight.

[n0chex]

Ye Good Old British weather has stopped play once again.

Np Bob A i am glad you got some useful information from the thread.

[n0chex]

I have errected and made the panels for my fence 28mm timber treated and a few more coats of satin timber sealer.

I Think the shitlap ones are really very poorly made and the panels i have made will outlast them 4 fold over and more.

Anyway all i need now is to decide what i want as i keep on changing my mind on pavers and flags so i must make a decision soon as i am ready ( I think ) to start laying flags or pavers , that's when i have laid my sand and screen the bugger but i do not want to do this untill i have the flags/pavers.

I keep getting promised stuff that never arrives so i may just end up going out to the local builders merchants and buying it from then at least i can make a start and the weather looks set to be nice after this week also.

PS: I did dtate i am in no rush when i started -

A few pictures of the retainning fence ect.

[Rich H]

I'm guessing those are deck boards? Looks good.

I don't think I can stand the tension of waiting for you to make up your mind on the paving! :p

[n0chex]

Yes you are 100% right done in sequence corrugated then a smooth to give a bit of a more interesting pattern.
I must say these fit the concrete posts perfect including the batton at the back and they are nice and tight so no rattles when it becomes windy and will last over 1 season not like the cheap premade shitlap panels.

Oh don't start me off i have had another change of plan in regards to the flagging.pavers but you will have to wait a little longer for some pictures.

[mickg]

looks good n0chex, good job your on day rate and not on price work

with regards to the paving, keep it simple, a simple layout does not date

look at all the suppliers brochures, they show a colour of flag with a contrasting colour of block paving or block paving with a contrasting coloured border.

simple but subtle and tasteful

[lutonlagerlout]

was thinking the same myself mick :;):
i guess your not on any rate nochex ===> love job
LLL

[n0chex]

450x450 Bradstone Textured Paving flags 32mm thick would these be ok just bedded on a 30-50mm sand bed and tight up to each other just for a patio which would only be walked on or would i need to butter all the joints.

[Rich H]

Best off to use a sand & cement mix for the bedding course. As for the jointing; it's your choice. You can lay them with minimal joints and brush in kiln dried sand, or lay them with 10mm (or so) joints and point them with mortar. Your paving will be longer lasting and easier to maintain with the latter, but it will take you longer to build.

[n0chex]

Ok thanks for the advice Rich H and i was hoping i would get away with a layer of sand wacked over then screened .
Is the a reason why the flags can not be butt up to each other to eliminate the need to brush in the kiln dried sand.

I don't fancy pointing well over 100 flags 450x450 what a pain staking job that would be ecspecially when you have never done it before.

You state best off to use a sand & cement mix would that be a wet mix or a dry mix or could i sprinkle the cement on top of the screened sand ?.

PS: Mods i have read the main forum and it does state that flags smaller than 600x600 can be laid on a bed of sand and it is not as though any cars are going to drive over it and i can say it has a SOLID base so i can not see no way that any of the flags could sink in the near future.

Remember i mentioned i had some weed fabric ( Large amount ) would it not be benificial to lay it on top of the MOT1 to stop the sand from washing away into the ground.

Sorry to ask so many questions and i have no intentions of going in for a detective ! ...but i feel i have done a fair DIY job upto now and want some opinions before i start to flave.block middle of next week ( weather permitting )

Again thanks guys for the advice that you have already provided me with upto now it has been sound and much appreciated and a pleasure to be a member of this forum.

[seanandruby]

Nochex. After all that has been done by you and advised by us, the time has come for you to choose what type of "base" (bedding layer ) you want to use. Bound, or unbound is a matter of personal choice. Please don't sprinkle cement on top of sand, mix it in. Individual bedding, or "screened" ( screeded ) the choice must be yours mate. The weed fabric i would put on Ebay, or simular. We must only use a proper geotextile between capping layer Dtp1, or, between Dtp1 and bedding layer if needed. I am sure you will choose what is right. Remember to, every now and then, step away from the job and have a look at how the job is progressing, so you can correct any errors. We have all finished a job then looked and thought "f***" how did i manage that ??? Good luck i'm sure you will be fine.

[Rich H]

Even if you're inexperienced and doing the mixes yourself, you can do 100 slabs in a couple of days.

As sean says, after all the work you've done wouldn't it be a shame to spoil the ship for a ha'porth of tar? Yes, it will take you longer to do the mixes than just screed, and yes, it will take longer to point the joints but if you scrimp at this stage you'll repent at your leisure!!

Some pointers for you

* Use a sand-cement mix, nice and wet. This will give you a rock solid bedding course which will bind the slabs.
* You absolutely cannot butt the slabs together - if there's no jointing at all the voids will very quickly fill with dust and weed seeds. Within 1 month you will be pulling weeds out of the joints.
* forget using a membrane. It's about as much use as a chocolate teapot

If you were to lay unjointed slabs on an unbound bedding course you'll be taking it all up again next year. I guarantee you'll have rocking slabs, ants and weeds.

[jay-Manor Driveways]

how ever you lay them butted or jointed i would still use a sand and cement mix for the screed, for these flags i use a near on dry mix 8;1 ratio and just damp to the touch or give it the sqeeze test , if its to dry it wont stick together when you squeeze it in your hand and if its to wet it will just slop every where ,
personally i would point them and use a sand /cement bed if it was my job

[n0chex]

Thanks for the speedy reply guys.

I see people have different ways some would do a semi mix some a wet mix and their was me thinking and planning on a dry mix of screened sand and air.

On the main site it does state that a flag 450x450 can be done as i have mentioned above Sand then lightly compacted then screened ( which i was going to do ).

I will use a ratio 8:1 or even 10:1 as i am fully confident in my base i have done in regards to it being solid and good drainage.

I think it will be better if i hired or bought a cement mixer as i do not fancy mixing by hand 4 ton of sand/cement.

I do not fancy pointing all the flags with a wet mortar mix ( scared of the picture frame effect ) and would rather leave a small 3mm gap and fill with silica sand.

I should metion i will be having a border in block paving and i was going to use a wet mix on this even though it is against a wall and no chance of falling apart to speak.

[Rich H]

In a mixer, a sharp sand and cement mix with, typically, about a third to half a bucket of water will make a nice mortar. Strength is up to you. Personally I like 4:1 or 6:1 depending on type of slab. With a 3mm gap use kiln dried sand (called block paving sand at the DIY sheds). Don't forget, when you clean it each year you'll need to re-joint it with new sand after it's dried fully.

PS there's no particular reason you'd get picture framing from jointing with mortar. Many pavers use a semi-dry mortar mix for jointing, well struck in, to avoid staining the slabs.